Frustrated! That's the best word to describe how I'm feeling about the state of this blog. So much has happened in the past year and none of it is here, remembered, written about and celebrated!
Welcome to the world, Maggie!
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Maggie
Dragon Mood? -- frustrated
Frustrated! That's the best word to describe how I'm feeling about the state of this blog. So much has happened in the past year and none of it is here, remembered, written about and celebrated!
First and foremost, I have a beautiful granddaughter, Margaret Emmeline, who was born July 19, 2011 in the waning hours of the day. She is now six months old, sitting up, two little tooth buds busted through on her lower gums and with the cutest tuft of dark hair on the top of her head that a Kewpie doll could envy.
Welcome to the world, Maggie!
Frustrated! That's the best word to describe how I'm feeling about the state of this blog. So much has happened in the past year and none of it is here, remembered, written about and celebrated!
Welcome to the world, Maggie!
A little gem from Aunt Doris
Dragon Mood? -- happy
Good morning! I talked with Aunt Doris this morning to sing her Happy Birthday and visit a bit. We talked about the usual things, but I got her reminiscing about the past and unexpectedly, this little gem came forth:
Good morning! I talked with Aunt Doris this morning to sing her Happy Birthday and visit a bit. We talked about the usual things, but I got her reminiscing about the past and unexpectedly, this little gem came forth:
On the occasion of Aunt Doris’s 88th birthday, talking on the phone, I asked her if she remembered her and her mother, Granny, making birthday cakes when she was a young girl.Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed hearing it from Aunt Doris. I wish we had a way to 'mine' the treasure trove of memories all these elders have hidden in their minds.
“Oh yes,” she replied.
“You didn’t have box cake mixes back then, did you?” I asked.
“Oh, no, we had to make everything from scratch, you know.”
“Did Granny like to cook?”
“No, she didn’t like to cook at all,” Aunt Doris replied. “See, doing the laundry back then was a big job. We didn't have machines back then. You had to build a fire under those black cast iron pots and heat up the water real hot so we could get our clothes clean. It was a big job. So Mama hired a black lady who lived nearby to come and do the laundry on Monday. She got done early, so Mama asked her to cook dinner. We all sat down at the table and Daddy wouldn’t eat. We said both our prayers and Daddy just sat there, quiet and wouldn’t eat."
“Do you think he wouldn’t eat the food because it was cooked by a black woman?”
“Maybe that was part of it, but he didn’t want Mama to stop cooking. He sat there the whole time, ‘til we were done and wouldn’t eat. I thought that was kinda silly of Daddy, but he wouldn’t eat.”
To me, this corroborates another story that I have heard: that Granny (Hermione), from the Moerbe family, was used to a more comfortable life. The Moerbes had more money than the Kunzes and felt that Hermione had married below her 'class' when she married John. The fact that Granny hired a woman to help with the laundry perhaps wasn’t unusual from her family’s experience. John protested Hermione using hired help to cook, even though he knew Hermione didn’t like to cook, so he refused to eat. I speculate that he didn’t want Hermione getting in the habit of paying someone else to cook for their family.
And the silence, and Aunt Doris's memory of implied refusal to talk about it feels so authentic to the Kunze family's reputation for little (read poor) communication.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Big Ten tourney Saturday afternoon
Dragon Mood? -- hopeful, yet nervous
Gearing up for THE game. Ahem, at least THE game for today!
Ask anyone and they'll tell you the MSU Spartans have had a weird and disappointing season. Ranked #2 in the nation before the season began, they have struggled mightily and up until this past week, were even in danger of not making the NCAA selection for the Big Dance. Oh my gosh!
Thursday night, they handled Iowa pretty easily to move onto the quarterfinals and meet up with Purdue. Amazingly, they got an early lead, held onto it and beat the Boilermakers 74-56. As the headlines announced, they pounded Purdue.
Now, I'm watching as they play their third game in as many days, against Penn State in the semi-finals. If they win this, they will play Ohio State, ranked #1 in the nation, tomorrow afternoon.
Go State, beat the Nittany Lions!
UPDATE: Halftime, tied at 26.
FINAL SCORE: Spartans lost, 61-48. Damn! :-(
Gearing up for THE game. Ahem, at least THE game for today!
Thursday night, they handled Iowa pretty easily to move onto the quarterfinals and meet up with Purdue. Amazingly, they got an early lead, held onto it and beat the Boilermakers 74-56. As the headlines announced, they pounded Purdue.
Now, I'm watching as they play their third game in as many days, against Penn State in the semi-finals. If they win this, they will play Ohio State, ranked #1 in the nation, tomorrow afternoon.
Go State, beat the Nittany Lions!
UPDATE: Halftime, tied at 26.
FINAL SCORE: Spartans lost, 61-48. Damn! :-(
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Monochromatic
Dragon Mood? -- introspective
Yesterday, to avoid a long wait at a train crossing,I took some unexplored back roads to get home to the house in the woods.
The roads were powdered with snow, possibly slippery. I drove slowly, taking my time, focused on my passage over the unknown roads. In hindsight, I felt very much 'in the moment'.
The sky was overcast. I kept looking at the passing landscape as if I were going to (try to) paint it. Everything was grayed and flat, a matte filter over my eyes. The only shine I could see was the light bouncing off isolated wet, smooth areas on the asphalt road.
Everything in the landscape looked outlined in white, as if sugar-powdered with the lightest of Mother Nature's touch. All the bare foliage looked soft, in a multitude of shades of taupe, brown and gray, almost as if they were airbrushed. Soft, matte and monochromatic.
Other than the sound of my car, things were quiet. People's homes appeared dark and empty or more accurately, still. It was an hour or so before dusk and even then, I didn't see lights in people's windows. The stillness and quiet of those passing moments was almost palpable.
I felt an incredible sense of stillness and peace. An extra-ordinary experience ... simply driving home from errands.
Yesterday, to avoid a long wait at a train crossing,I took some unexplored back roads to get home to the house in the woods.
The sky was overcast. I kept looking at the passing landscape as if I were going to (try to) paint it. Everything was grayed and flat, a matte filter over my eyes. The only shine I could see was the light bouncing off isolated wet, smooth areas on the asphalt road.
Everything in the landscape looked outlined in white, as if sugar-powdered with the lightest of Mother Nature's touch. All the bare foliage looked soft, in a multitude of shades of taupe, brown and gray, almost as if they were airbrushed. Soft, matte and monochromatic.
Other than the sound of my car, things were quiet. People's homes appeared dark and empty or more accurately, still. It was an hour or so before dusk and even then, I didn't see lights in people's windows. The stillness and quiet of those passing moments was almost palpable.
I felt an incredible sense of stillness and peace. An extra-ordinary experience ... simply driving home from errands.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
'Frisson'
Dragon Mood? -- thrilled and trembly
Words. I've had a lifelong love affair with them. I'll never give them up, never get over them. What can I say?
Here's one that I enjoy rolling around in my mouth before I release it to the world:
Frisson. YOU try using it just once and see what happens to you!
Words. I've had a lifelong love affair with them. I'll never give them up, never get over them. What can I say?
frisson: A moment of intense excitement; a shudder; a thrill.I don't know why I like this word so much but there's definitely an arousal factor there. Oh yeah! As the old saying goes, "There may be snow on the roof, but there's still a fire in the hearth." No truer words were ever spoken.
As in,"The story's ending arouses a frisson of terror."
Frisson. YOU try using it just once and see what happens to you!
Dragon Mood? -- excited and cowed at the same time
Because I have far more things to report and share here than I took time for in December, I'm still in the catch-up mode. One highly anticipated change was and is my transition from 20th century phone technology to the 21st!
So, here's my old cell phone, a sturdy Samsung that served me well for over four-and-a-half years.
My new phone is a Motorola Droid 2, operating on the cutting edge Android 2.2 operating system. (I imagine someday I'll look back at this posting and chuckle at my breathlessness for a then-antiquated technology! New today, out-of-date tomorrow, eh?)
I wasn't planning on buying a Droid 2. Beyond it being cutting edge, I heard it was a little big for a woman's hand, a little heavy perhaps. All true.
I was in a Sam's store, waiting while a prescription was filled, poking around in the store. A kiosk inside sells cell phones, a separate entity owned and operated by Radio Shack. I was actually looking for the HTC Incredible, another Android phone, when I noticed the price of the Droid 2. Ordinarily they were selling for $250- 300, but this one was listed at $49.97. Whahhh?
Turns out Radio Shack was having a 'special' that weekend, the weekend before Christmas, selling the Droid 2, applying rebates up front and then discounting it some more. I talked to the manager for a few minutes, asked him to set one aside for me, picked up my scrip and called S. We ended up revisiting the store later that day, purchased my Droid 2 and began a technological adventure that continues to this day.
See, cell phones used to come with 1/2" thick little user manuals that you could read and pour over, discovering and testing all the ins and outs of the phone. Not anymore. That's way too tree-killing for the 21st century. Now, the cell phone manufacturer gives you a 18"x24" piece of paper, printed on both sides, folded up like an origami Rubic's cube with all the basic info you need. After that, Google it. (chuckling) Oh yeah!
So, in a nutshell, I've struggled with the phone. While I like to think of myself as being pretty computer and software savvy, I'm not so sure anymore. Maybe for an old fart, but certainly not compared to the Gen X and Gen Y folks. Part of the issue is the lack of documentation. I've read online tutorials, watched YouTube videos, found a little "HELP" button buried in the Droid 2 apps (who'da thunk to look there?). I've consulted my daughter (who is a strong iPhone user and afficionado, not at all impressed with my fancy-schmancy Droid 2), along with S herself, who ended up buying a Droid X one impulsive trip to the Verizon store.
Slowly, day by day, I'm getting more comfortable and adept at using this phone. Not there yet, but I'm making progress. At one point, I was so discouraged and angered over some of its shortcomings, I thought about returning it (still within that 30-day grace period). Well, the grace period ended three days and so now, I'm stuck and committed to making this damn phone work.
And I will!
Because I have far more things to report and share here than I took time for in December, I'm still in the catch-up mode. One highly anticipated change was and is my transition from 20th century phone technology to the 21st!
My new phone is a Motorola Droid 2, operating on the cutting edge Android 2.2 operating system. (I imagine someday I'll look back at this posting and chuckle at my breathlessness for a then-antiquated technology! New today, out-of-date tomorrow, eh?)
I wasn't planning on buying a Droid 2. Beyond it being cutting edge, I heard it was a little big for a woman's hand, a little heavy perhaps. All true.
I was in a Sam's store, waiting while a prescription was filled, poking around in the store. A kiosk inside sells cell phones, a separate entity owned and operated by Radio Shack. I was actually looking for the HTC Incredible, another Android phone, when I noticed the price of the Droid 2. Ordinarily they were selling for $250- 300, but this one was listed at $49.97. Whahhh?
Turns out Radio Shack was having a 'special' that weekend, the weekend before Christmas, selling the Droid 2, applying rebates up front and then discounting it some more. I talked to the manager for a few minutes, asked him to set one aside for me, picked up my scrip and called S. We ended up revisiting the store later that day, purchased my Droid 2 and began a technological adventure that continues to this day.
See, cell phones used to come with 1/2" thick little user manuals that you could read and pour over, discovering and testing all the ins and outs of the phone. Not anymore. That's way too tree-killing for the 21st century. Now, the cell phone manufacturer gives you a 18"x24" piece of paper, printed on both sides, folded up like an origami Rubic's cube with all the basic info you need. After that, Google it. (chuckling) Oh yeah!
So, in a nutshell, I've struggled with the phone. While I like to think of myself as being pretty computer and software savvy, I'm not so sure anymore. Maybe for an old fart, but certainly not compared to the Gen X and Gen Y folks. Part of the issue is the lack of documentation. I've read online tutorials, watched YouTube videos, found a little "HELP" button buried in the Droid 2 apps (who'da thunk to look there?). I've consulted my daughter (who is a strong iPhone user and afficionado, not at all impressed with my fancy-schmancy Droid 2), along with S herself, who ended up buying a Droid X one impulsive trip to the Verizon store.
Slowly, day by day, I'm getting more comfortable and adept at using this phone. Not there yet, but I'm making progress. At one point, I was so discouraged and angered over some of its shortcomings, I thought about returning it (still within that 30-day grace period). Well, the grace period ended three days and so now, I'm stuck and committed to making this damn phone work.
And I will!
Fleeting and elusive
Dragon Mood? -- frustrated
You know, I'll be driving to work or driving home from work. Sometimes, I get these in the bathroom, taking a shower. Sometimes, it's in the middle of the night.
And this incredibly luminescent light bulb will go ON for me, inside the dark, mysterious recesses of my brain, and I think, "By golly, I need to write that down. I should blog about that!" Of course, at the time, in the moment, I'm convinced that I'll be able to retrieve that sparkly whit of insight like the snap of fingers. The sad reality is that I'm not. And then I let out this heavy sigh. Because one more sample of my (~ahem~) brilliance has been lost in the dark netherworld of my memory. Will I ever be able to retrieve it? Who knows?
On a more positive light, I DID remember enough to write this post. Yay for me!
You know, I'll be driving to work or driving home from work. Sometimes, I get these in the bathroom, taking a shower. Sometimes, it's in the middle of the night.
On a more positive light, I DID remember enough to write this post. Yay for me!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Gray Tuesday
It's gray outside, cold, rainy, threatening to turn to ice. This day rather matches my mood. Not the best.
The commute this morning was okay, but I'm a little bit worried about tonight. S had a 'mandatory appearance' at Cobo this morning (her employer is so heavy-handed about these sorts of things). After than, she then must jump in the car and drive 90 miles for a late afternoon doctor's appointment. AND then drive 90 miles back home to the pied-a-terre. All while it's gray and raining and treacherously turning to ice. ICK is all I can say. And BE CAREFUL! (sigh)
Note to self: your hormone replacement stuff has worn out. I can tell. You're bitchy and on edge. Get some more hormones and rejoin the happy human race.
Maybe then the grayness will stop. And the sun will come out.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
As Easy as Sending an Email
In the hopes that I'll blog a bit more, I am testing out the capabilities of composing an email and sending it to Blogger. If all the technological ducks are in a row, it will then appear as a blogposting at Calypso Dragon 13.
Will it? Let's give it a try and keep our cyber fingers crossed.
Chanel No. 5
Dragon Mood? -- reveling in the fragrance
Scientists say that some of our earliest memories involve smells. Smell of skin, smell of milk, smells of a place that evokes safety and security, they all are forged early in a person's life.
One of my early memories as a child was going into my grandma, Nana's, bedroom and being enveloped in this sweet fragrance. I later learned the fragrance was the perfume, Chanel No.5. Whenever I smell Chanel No. 5, I think of Nana. I can immediately feel the little girl part of me and I feel, sigh, all is well, with the world.
Having recently learned that I'm going to be a grandmother, I asked my partner, S, for 'grandma' perfume for Christmas. Bless her heart, she came through like a champ. I am now the happy owner of a classic, luxe bottle of Eau de Parfum, Chanel No. 5.
I can't wait to wear it as I hold The Colonel.
Scientists say that some of our earliest memories involve smells. Smell of skin, smell of milk, smells of a place that evokes safety and security, they all are forged early in a person's life.
Having recently learned that I'm going to be a grandmother, I asked my partner, S, for 'grandma' perfume for Christmas. Bless her heart, she came through like a champ. I am now the happy owner of a classic, luxe bottle of Eau de Parfum, Chanel No. 5.
I can't wait to wear it as I hold The Colonel.
Transition
Dragon Mood? -- still in the early stages of adjustment
So, I told you in my last posting, that I'm going to become a grandma.
It's no small matter transitioning from non-grandma status to being a GRANDMA! Even the fact that I feel the need to capitalize Grandma tells you something about my internal process.
Like my most people, I had two grandmas. One, Granny Kunze, I knew very little, because she lived at the Texas farm and we lived up north. I have a few hazy memories of her in the kitchen, baking and cooking, but I can't recall a single conversation that she and I had together. She died in a car accident when I was ten.
My other grandma, whom I called Nana, is the grandma that informs my sense of who and what a grandma is. I always felt her delight in me. With Nana, I felt absolutely SPECIAL. Again, with the capitals. She and I had a Mutual Admiration Society that knew no bounds. Even in her last years of life, I can remember visiting her one night, unexpectedly knocking at her door. She opened the door hesitantly, cute as a bug in her flannel PJs, cotton robe and thick Coke-bottle glasses, looking more like a little girl than a mid-eighties grandma. I walked in and she bear-hugged me, like I was the only person on this earth. I hugged her back with just as much intensity.
So, as my grandbaby gestates and incubates inside my daughter, Caroline, I too am changing, slowly making the transition from mom/mother/Mamacita to grandma/grandmother/Nana. And what will my grandma name be? I'm kind of liking "Grandberry."
So, I told you in my last posting, that I'm going to become a grandma.
Like my most people, I had two grandmas. One, Granny Kunze, I knew very little, because she lived at the Texas farm and we lived up north. I have a few hazy memories of her in the kitchen, baking and cooking, but I can't recall a single conversation that she and I had together. She died in a car accident when I was ten.
My other grandma, whom I called Nana, is the grandma that informs my sense of who and what a grandma is. I always felt her delight in me. With Nana, I felt absolutely SPECIAL. Again, with the capitals. She and I had a Mutual Admiration Society that knew no bounds. Even in her last years of life, I can remember visiting her one night, unexpectedly knocking at her door. She opened the door hesitantly, cute as a bug in her flannel PJs, cotton robe and thick Coke-bottle glasses, looking more like a little girl than a mid-eighties grandma. I walked in and she bear-hugged me, like I was the only person on this earth. I hugged her back with just as much intensity.
So, as my grandbaby gestates and incubates inside my daughter, Caroline, I too am changing, slowly making the transition from mom/mother/Mamacita to grandma/grandmother/Nana. And what will my grandma name be? I'm kind of liking "Grandberry."
The Day before Thanksgiving
Dragon Mood? -- life changing feelings
While I am woefully late blogging about this, I learned something life-changing the day before Thanksgiving.
I had just pulled into my usual parking spot at work and was walking into the building when my cell phone rang. It was Caroline. I knew that she, Ron, Josh and Leah were all flying to Arizona that morning to spend Thanksgiving with Greg and Colleen.
We exchanged greetings and pleasantries and then she said, "Mamacita, I'm sorry to do this over the phone, but ..." And shame on me, I didn't even give her the chance to say the words before I interrupted and asked, "Are you preggers?" I think she was taken aback either by my interruption or the word, "preggers," but after a second or two, she answered, "Yes!"
So, Mary. You are going to become a grandma. A GRANDMA! Imagine that!
While I am woefully late blogging about this, I learned something life-changing the day before Thanksgiving.
We exchanged greetings and pleasantries and then she said, "Mamacita, I'm sorry to do this over the phone, but ..." And shame on me, I didn't even give her the chance to say the words before I interrupted and asked, "Are you preggers?" I think she was taken aback either by my interruption or the word, "preggers," but after a second or two, she answered, "Yes!"
So, Mary. You are going to become a grandma. A GRANDMA! Imagine that!
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Officially 'Fallen Back'
Dragon Mood? -- circadian rhythmically disoriented
Early, early this morning, while I was blissfully sleeping, most of the country, including us, turned our collective clocks back. Instantaneously, 2 a.m. became 1 a.m. Voila, just like that, we created an extra hour for ourselves! Why can't we do that EVERY weekend?
Sue and Michelle invited Jeanne, Joanne, Sally, S and I over for a lovely, entertaining dinner last night. I made Parmesan Pinwheels (simple and TASTY from Real Simple) and traffic-light crudites (red-yellow-green, with a little orange thrown in for good measure) and vegetable dip for appetizers. Michelle made a knock-out Beef Stroganoff along with fresh, steamed green beans. Jeanne and Joanne brought a dazzlingly delicious berry crumble pie from the award-winning Sweetie-licious Bakery in DeWitt. With Cosmos, better-than-average red wine, beer and other, assorted alcoholic beverages, the seven of us schmoozed, talked, interrupted, laughed and made good-friend conversation with one another for four or so hours. It was simply delightful!
And I'll end this post by saying that not one of these crazy, 'spring forward' or 'fall back' events occurs without my thinking of my mother. More times than not, she was working as a night nurse at a local nursing home (now defunct Provincial House) on those semi-annual Saturday nights and would always note on the 'fall back' ones, how she was so lucky (hear the sarcasm) to get to work an extra hour! For some curious reason, I always remember her mentioning that. I love you, Mom, and miss your love and care.
Early, early this morning, while I was blissfully sleeping, most of the country, including us, turned our collective clocks back. Instantaneously, 2 a.m. became 1 a.m. Voila, just like that, we created an extra hour for ourselves! Why can't we do that EVERY weekend?
And I'll end this post by saying that not one of these crazy, 'spring forward' or 'fall back' events occurs without my thinking of my mother. More times than not, she was working as a night nurse at a local nursing home (now defunct Provincial House) on those semi-annual Saturday nights and would always note on the 'fall back' ones, how she was so lucky (hear the sarcasm) to get to work an extra hour! For some curious reason, I always remember her mentioning that. I love you, Mom, and miss your love and care.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
A non-relaxing Sunday morning
Dragon Mood? -- TIRED and I'm not kidding
HELP!! S and I have been taken hostage by a four year-old and a two year-old and we CAN'T GET UP!
I'm joking AND exaggerating! But only a little. We rendezvoused with Matt and Sarah in the Lake Lansing Meijers parking lot last night, got the 'goods' (Madison and Conner) and S took them into the store to pick out a toy. Forty-five loo-o-oong minutes later, they emerged. Sheesh, I should have known better than to agree to that quick little trip.
At home, S got into the jacuzzi tub with them and things were going well until Conner decided he was scared of the water, or the jets, or the bubbles. We're not sure which. As a two year-old boy, with a very talkative big sister, all he has to do is grunt and shake his head "NO" and point with his finger ... and the kid communicates well and gets pretty much all his needs met. It's an amazing dynamic to observe in action and it certainly takes me back to when Josh was two and Caroline was four. Same sibling behavior, transcendent of time and environment.
Conner feel asleep between 10:30 and 11:00 p.m. Madison was up until midnight, thanks to billowing mounds of bubbles, imagined fog and storms for the flotilla of toy boats and exhilarating archaeological digs down in the bubbles IN the tub. She and Grandma really gave their imaginations a workout!
We two grandmas, Grandma and GrandMary, hit the hay immediately. And one minute later, it was light, I heard Madison's voice and the next thing I knew, two little people were padding into our room, wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to GREET the morning! Aye-yi-yiee!!
S and I did our rational and logical best to persuade Madison and Conner that it was WAY TOO early and that we were still tired and climb in bed with us and let's ALL go back to sleep. We never even got close to launching that idea. The phrase, I believe, is a complete fizzle. Nope, they were up, and ready to PLAY! It was all of 7:30 a.m.
We played the piano, we ate bananas, we colored pictures, we got all the pull toys down off the shelf, we made a homemade diaper bag for Madison's new baby doll, we read books. You name it, we did it. Grandma made peanut butter and spun honey raisin toast for us all and made a new song, "Sticky Fingers" to accompany our breakfast. And boy, did the song ever fit the situation!
It's now 1:20 p.m., Conner's sleeping, Grandma and Madison are outside, and Mommy and Daddy have finally shown up. I'm exhausted! Time for a nap!
HELP!! S and I have been taken hostage by a four year-old and a two year-old and we CAN'T GET UP!
At home, S got into the jacuzzi tub with them and things were going well until Conner decided he was scared of the water, or the jets, or the bubbles. We're not sure which. As a two year-old boy, with a very talkative big sister, all he has to do is grunt and shake his head "NO" and point with his finger ... and the kid communicates well and gets pretty much all his needs met. It's an amazing dynamic to observe in action and it certainly takes me back to when Josh was two and Caroline was four. Same sibling behavior, transcendent of time and environment.
Conner feel asleep between 10:30 and 11:00 p.m. Madison was up until midnight, thanks to billowing mounds of bubbles, imagined fog and storms for the flotilla of toy boats and exhilarating archaeological digs down in the bubbles IN the tub. She and Grandma really gave their imaginations a workout!
We two grandmas, Grandma and GrandMary, hit the hay immediately. And one minute later, it was light, I heard Madison's voice and the next thing I knew, two little people were padding into our room, wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to GREET the morning! Aye-yi-yiee!!
S and I did our rational and logical best to persuade Madison and Conner that it was WAY TOO early and that we were still tired and climb in bed with us and let's ALL go back to sleep. We never even got close to launching that idea. The phrase, I believe, is a complete fizzle. Nope, they were up, and ready to PLAY! It was all of 7:30 a.m.
We played the piano, we ate bananas, we colored pictures, we got all the pull toys down off the shelf, we made a homemade diaper bag for Madison's new baby doll, we read books. You name it, we did it. Grandma made peanut butter and spun honey raisin toast for us all and made a new song, "Sticky Fingers" to accompany our breakfast. And boy, did the song ever fit the situation!
It's now 1:20 p.m., Conner's sleeping, Grandma and Madison are outside, and Mommy and Daddy have finally shown up. I'm exhausted! Time for a nap!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Recapturing a lazy Saturday morning
Dragon Mood? -- enjoying a lazy Saturday morning
Do you know it's been ages, ages, I tell you since I had a lazy Saturday morning to post here? I think back on all the times I wrote in this blog 'back in the day' when days felt longer, the sun traveled a more relaxed circle in the sky and time had no end in sight.
Nowadays, things feel accelerated. Everything is speeding by, at such a pace, it takes deliberate intention and effort to sit down, breathe and relax. And maybe write a bit here or there in this blog.
S and I celebrated our 24th anniversary this past Tuesday, October 26, 2010. Twenty-four years! I can hardly imagine it. Our relationship began innocently enough, coworkers at a work conference held in Hilton Head, South Carolina. We were both married, husbands and children at home, awaiting our return. One night, that last night in Hilton Head, turned my world upside down, S's too. And it was all so very innocent. All we did was share a bed and feel feelings. Amazing thing.
We celebrated our anniversary by going to hear Bob Dylan and his band perform at the MSU Auditorium in East Lansing. I had bought the tickets as a surprise for S. She and I rendezvoused in Wixom, in the Meijers' parking lot around 5:30, drove to Dusty's in Okemos for a quick, light meal and then off to hear Ol' Growly himself. It was a rockin' concert, loud and fun to move to the beat of the music. I felt good about buying the tickets, taking the initiative on celebrating our anniversary, and S thanked me numerous times for doing this for us. Maybe it was the strange windy weather, but something felt different in the air; youth and energy and maybe even a little bit of hopefulness. All this from an old poet minstrel, from another age, another century even.
Josh and Leah continue to be in my thoughts. I listen to music driving to work and I can get tears in my eyes thinking about them, their undiluted joy and happiness at being together, and all that life has waiting for them.
Caroline and Ron experienced the death of a friend this past week, a good friend and motorcycle brother. He died in a motorcycle accident. I haven't had the opportunity nor the heart to ask about the details, but J.D.'s death fuels one of my worst fears, that Ron and Caroline would be hurt or die in an accident like that. I feel so irrational about this, my fears so irrational (what are feelings but irrational?), that I have to keep a really tight leash on myself so that I don't say or do something inappropriate. Like call them up and scream in to the phone, "I TOLD YOU SO! I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE BEFORE ME!" (sigh) Like I said, inappropriate.
Work is getting better. Slowly, baby step by baby step, things are getting better. I have a disappointing morning or an unproductive day, but I also have good days where things are cookin', things are humming along and I think, wow, I'm really busy and this feels good.
I had my first candidate start a short-term assignment this past Monday and two more candidates will begin working next week. Yay! Yay for me!
(sigh) It's past noon. Morning is over, time for 'lazy' has passed. Things to do, places to go, people to meet!
Do you know it's been ages, ages, I tell you since I had a lazy Saturday morning to post here? I think back on all the times I wrote in this blog 'back in the day' when days felt longer, the sun traveled a more relaxed circle in the sky and time had no end in sight.
S and I celebrated our 24th anniversary this past Tuesday, October 26, 2010. Twenty-four years! I can hardly imagine it. Our relationship began innocently enough, coworkers at a work conference held in Hilton Head, South Carolina. We were both married, husbands and children at home, awaiting our return. One night, that last night in Hilton Head, turned my world upside down, S's too. And it was all so very innocent. All we did was share a bed and feel feelings. Amazing thing.
We celebrated our anniversary by going to hear Bob Dylan and his band perform at the MSU Auditorium in East Lansing. I had bought the tickets as a surprise for S. She and I rendezvoused in Wixom, in the Meijers' parking lot around 5:30, drove to Dusty's in Okemos for a quick, light meal and then off to hear Ol' Growly himself. It was a rockin' concert, loud and fun to move to the beat of the music. I felt good about buying the tickets, taking the initiative on celebrating our anniversary, and S thanked me numerous times for doing this for us. Maybe it was the strange windy weather, but something felt different in the air; youth and energy and maybe even a little bit of hopefulness. All this from an old poet minstrel, from another age, another century even.
Josh and Leah continue to be in my thoughts. I listen to music driving to work and I can get tears in my eyes thinking about them, their undiluted joy and happiness at being together, and all that life has waiting for them.
Caroline and Ron experienced the death of a friend this past week, a good friend and motorcycle brother. He died in a motorcycle accident. I haven't had the opportunity nor the heart to ask about the details, but J.D.'s death fuels one of my worst fears, that Ron and Caroline would be hurt or die in an accident like that. I feel so irrational about this, my fears so irrational (what are feelings but irrational?), that I have to keep a really tight leash on myself so that I don't say or do something inappropriate. Like call them up and scream in to the phone, "I TOLD YOU SO! I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE BEFORE ME!" (sigh) Like I said, inappropriate.
Work is getting better. Slowly, baby step by baby step, things are getting better. I have a disappointing morning or an unproductive day, but I also have good days where things are cookin', things are humming along and I think, wow, I'm really busy and this feels good.
I had my first candidate start a short-term assignment this past Monday and two more candidates will begin working next week. Yay! Yay for me!
(sigh) It's past noon. Morning is over, time for 'lazy' has passed. Things to do, places to go, people to meet!
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Sweet remembrances
Dragon Mood? -- smiling inside and out
Good golly, Miss Molly, do you know I've been writing in this blog for well over SIX years? Is that a thud I heard, you falling from your chair? Yeah, me too!
I hardly ever look back. Except, uh, for now. I looked back here, a posting from this blog, from October 2004. And here's some truth that bears repeating:
Good golly, Miss Molly, do you know I've been writing in this blog for well over SIX years? Is that a thud I heard, you falling from your chair? Yeah, me too!
My kids are the apples of my eye, the cream in my coffee, the joy in my heart ...
Lina is my older child, with her warm dragon-y outlook on life and people. She loves her dog, good food, "value" wine and that sushi-delivering motorcyle guy [now her husband]. The cup is almost always way more than half-full for her and Lina always looks for the good in people. I love the way she writes, her embracing of wildness and piratical "wenchiness," and most especially, I appreciate her good "eye."
Josh is my younger child, a curious combination of compassion and wicked smartness. His smartness is magnified by incredible tenacity and persistence. He'll bulldoggedly rip your illogical arguments to shreds as well as sit tenderly by, handing you tissues as you cry. He loves the company of women, especially strong women and he isn't afraid to tell Lina and me how much he loves us. He also has a passion for music, which at times, pours out of his being like a localized Niagara Falls. I love watching him at those moments.
Trees, martinis and Sally
Dragon Mood? -- waking up, catching up
Thursday morning, just past six a.m., I'm sitting here with my steaming cup of hot coffee, waking up, enjoying these few, quiet minutes to myself.
This past weekend, Sally was 'down state', visiting us, hanging out with S on another solo week of vacation ('sigh' -- one of the few negatives of my new job -- no time for vacation). S was busy working with Mike, the Tree Guy, selecting and placing half a forest of trees in our backyard. But mostly, S was working her tail off, cutting down many, many small, under-canopy deciduous trees (mostly chokecherry), bucking or sawing them into pieces, stacking them and chipping up the rest of the small limbs and foliage. Loads of work!
Sally seemed pretty content to hang out at the house. She and S met with Mark on Thursday evening for dinner, Matt and Sarah and kids on Friday evening (along with Tim and Nicki too). Saturday afternoon, we all stopped our respective activities and watched the Spartans give the Wisconsin Badgers a well-deserved spanking, beating them 34-24. Oh yeah! Next week, it's Michigan and I hope the Spartans are on the delivery end and not the receiving end of a spanking.
Saturday evening, we had a warm, tasty meal of pot roast, potatoes, carrots, onions and baby bella mushrooms. Mmm-mm good! Then we had a rare dessert, a pineapple-orange flavored cake that Sally had brought with her. It was moist and delicious with some (more) hot coffee.
After cleaning up the kitchen, we began playing three-handed euchre. If memory serves me right, I won the first game handily. The cards were definitely coming my way. To celebrate my victory, I announced I felt like having a dirty martini. I asked Sally if she would like a Bloody Mary and she said no, she'd enjoy a martini too. So I got to practice my newbie martini-making skills not once, but three times that evening. Sally tipped me off to use cracked ice rather than cubes for a better chilled martini. Wow, what a difference! And, I can see why Josh and Leah are so discerning about the olives they use in their martinis. Olives can make or break a decent tasting martini. Ours were not the freshest, but they did the job. Next time, I'll make sure to have fresh and probably better quality olives on hand.
And from my martini-making, I learned that Sally used to be a bartender at the Metro Bowl in Lansing, way back, 'in the day'. She had applied for a bookkeeping job there and ended up a bartender instead.
Obviously, the more liquor we drank, the more we talked and shared. And you understand, it's not like Sally and I haven't hung out before or that we haven't done our fair share of drinking together. But somehow, this evening was different. There was more the quality of two women letting down their hair, sharing life experiences. S was more bystander than participant. This is her mom, of course, and she chose to listen more than talk. The stories just got better and better.
Thursday morning, just past six a.m., I'm sitting here with my steaming cup of hot coffee, waking up, enjoying these few, quiet minutes to myself.
Sally seemed pretty content to hang out at the house. She and S met with Mark on Thursday evening for dinner, Matt and Sarah and kids on Friday evening (along with Tim and Nicki too). Saturday afternoon, we all stopped our respective activities and watched the Spartans give the Wisconsin Badgers a well-deserved spanking, beating them 34-24. Oh yeah! Next week, it's Michigan and I hope the Spartans are on the delivery end and not the receiving end of a spanking.
Saturday evening, we had a warm, tasty meal of pot roast, potatoes, carrots, onions and baby bella mushrooms. Mmm-mm good! Then we had a rare dessert, a pineapple-orange flavored cake that Sally had brought with her. It was moist and delicious with some (more) hot coffee.
After cleaning up the kitchen, we began playing three-handed euchre. If memory serves me right, I won the first game handily. The cards were definitely coming my way. To celebrate my victory, I announced I felt like having a dirty martini. I asked Sally if she would like a Bloody Mary and she said no, she'd enjoy a martini too. So I got to practice my newbie martini-making skills not once, but three times that evening. Sally tipped me off to use cracked ice rather than cubes for a better chilled martini. Wow, what a difference! And, I can see why Josh and Leah are so discerning about the olives they use in their martinis. Olives can make or break a decent tasting martini. Ours were not the freshest, but they did the job. Next time, I'll make sure to have fresh and probably better quality olives on hand.
And from my martini-making, I learned that Sally used to be a bartender at the Metro Bowl in Lansing, way back, 'in the day'. She had applied for a bookkeeping job there and ended up a bartender instead.
Obviously, the more liquor we drank, the more we talked and shared. And you understand, it's not like Sally and I haven't hung out before or that we haven't done our fair share of drinking together. But somehow, this evening was different. There was more the quality of two women letting down their hair, sharing life experiences. S was more bystander than participant. This is her mom, of course, and she chose to listen more than talk. The stories just got better and better.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Late September and work
Dragon Mood? -- waking up
It's 6:25 a.m. by the digital clock on my laptop, it's dark outside and cold here inside the house. I'm not wanting to turn on the heat just yet, but how much longer can I hold out?
I want to write about my job. I'm in my seventh or eighth week now; I've lost count of the weeks. In weeks four, five, six, my emotions were up and down about it. I'm so accustomed to being good at things I do, it was hard for me to work, work, work with little to no success.
My attitude is a little better now. Each week I am supposed to achieve ten submittals. That works out to two per day for the work week. Last week, I hit eight -- and felt pretty darn good about it. This past Monday, I got two submittals; my first two submittals for a Monday. Another small success.
I have talked with my boss several times about this. Actually, he's asked me how I think things are going. I really appreciate him doing this. It has given me an opportunity to vent a bit, but even better, he offered me feedback -- feedback that I'm doing just fine and he's happy with my work so far.
I enjoy talking with people. I know this sounds weird, but I try to project care and acceptance towards each person I talk to, over the phone. I smile and joke with them during our conversations. Frequently, these jobseekers make me laugh. I am amazed at how often I feel the goodwill of complete strangers.
In a sentence, the job is going well. I LIKE my job!
It's 6:25 a.m. by the digital clock on my laptop, it's dark outside and cold here inside the house. I'm not wanting to turn on the heat just yet, but how much longer can I hold out?
My attitude is a little better now. Each week I am supposed to achieve ten submittals. That works out to two per day for the work week. Last week, I hit eight -- and felt pretty darn good about it. This past Monday, I got two submittals; my first two submittals for a Monday. Another small success.
I have talked with my boss several times about this. Actually, he's asked me how I think things are going. I really appreciate him doing this. It has given me an opportunity to vent a bit, but even better, he offered me feedback -- feedback that I'm doing just fine and he's happy with my work so far.
I enjoy talking with people. I know this sounds weird, but I try to project care and acceptance towards each person I talk to, over the phone. I smile and joke with them during our conversations. Frequently, these jobseekers make me laugh. I am amazed at how often I feel the goodwill of complete strangers.
In a sentence, the job is going well. I LIKE my job!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Remnant
Dragon Mood? -- [I don't know what my mood was that day.]
While I sit here awaiting a call from a prospective employer, I am diverting my attention to this blog. Busy, busy.
[I found this languishing in the "Draft" section of my blog posts. From the middle of July. Time to publish.]
While I sit here awaiting a call from a prospective employer, I am diverting my attention to this blog. Busy, busy.
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Catching up, Madison visit
Dragon Mood? -- remembering and smiling
I knew this would happen. One day, it's Thursday and I can hardly wait to get on the road to Madison. Before you can say "lickety split," it's Wednesday, been there and back, and whew, where did the time go?
S was a champ and drove us the entire way. Driving her car may have had something to do with that. Not that she doesn't trust me. It's just that it's her car, you know?
We arrived about 1:15 a.m., Caroline met us at the door and Dakota stuck her nose in our crotches. And then danced and leapt around. Welcome!
Friday morning, Ron was in the kitchen, taking a break from his work routine, preparing to make Egg McRonbos for us. He not only made us breakfast, but French-pressed coffee as well. Delicious!
After eating, we cleaned up and headed out to St. Vinny's for our requisite visit. Gosh, what a visit! S found an aluminum frame lounger in near-perfect condition for $5, I found two pieces of pottery, Caroline a Fiesta dish along with a Hall china coffee mug. Steph also snagged four record albums (yes, vinyl!) for $1 a piece, while I picked up some 'pearl' earrings. Caroline got the best find though in a delightful, handmade rocking hobby horse for a small child. As she made her way across the big room, holding the hobby horse up to show me, I asked her, "Are you trying to tell me something?" Her answer was a big grin. (aside - While the 'deed' is not done, things are being set in motion for it to happen.) Oh yes, and Caroline also found a completely cute pair of angel wings, replete with feathers and shiny sequins sprinkled here and there. Halloween, watch out for a drunken angel!
Staggering out of St. Vinny's, arms loaded, we headed to a nearby Indian restaurant where Ron met us for lunch. Don't ask me what I ate. It was a buffet full of tasty, exotic dishes. I enjoyed virtually all of them ... well, maybe except the slightly chewy goat meat one. At Caroline's encouragement, I ordered a hot chai tea that was lovely and delicious. Not too sugary, with just the right amount of gingery warmth and zinginess. Hmm, I can still taste its yumminess.
Saturday was a bit of a slow start, but we made it to the Farmer's Market in downtown Madison. Oh my, it was every bit as busy and crowded with shoppers as I remembered. Every step of the four blocks-long market, there were stands replete with colorful veggies and tempting jams and humongous hearty mums and cheese curds and breads and honey and black Spanish radishes (just remember the amazing translation from 'jacquard' to 'daikon' -- "I speak Stephnie!")and too many other delicious treats to list. We went with two or three items in mind to purchase and left with Caroline's trusty backpack loaded to the brim. Chivalrous Ron toted the hefty thing around and never groaned, not even once.
We headed to the Soap Opera, but sidetracked ourselves into Paul's Club for the requisite spicy Bloody Marys. Yummy, as I knew they would be.
The Soap Opera was cozily intimate, busy and filled with sumptuous fragrances that always evoke an unexpected sense of well-being. I glided over to the table filled with Mistral soaps and began sniffing all the new 'flavors'. It's a place to simply give in to your senses, particularly the smell-icious one.
Saturday night, we all enjoyed Caroline's culinary gifts: corn chowder made with freshly frozen sweet corn and finely diced jalapenos (awesome!); Juliette tomatoes, fresh, backyard basil leaves and fresh mozzarella salad; and yummy fresh boiled shrimp with zingy homemade cocktail sauce bursting with horseradish. Talk about a feast! We ate our fill and then some.
The highlight of Sunday was a visit to the Sugar Shack, a vintage record shop. It was packed with album covers, vintage posters, memorabilia and crates and crates of old music. While Caroline and I poked around for a half an hour or so, Ron and S easily spent an hour plus sifting through the treasures awaiting their discovery. Meanwhile, Caroline and I settled down out in her trusty Mazda, called Uncle George for his early birthday celebration and talked with our cousins on speaker phone.
It was a great weekend!
I knew this would happen. One day, it's Thursday and I can hardly wait to get on the road to Madison. Before you can say "lickety split," it's Wednesday, been there and back, and whew, where did the time go?
We arrived about 1:15 a.m., Caroline met us at the door and Dakota stuck her nose in our crotches. And then danced and leapt around. Welcome!
Friday morning, Ron was in the kitchen, taking a break from his work routine, preparing to make Egg McRonbos for us. He not only made us breakfast, but French-pressed coffee as well. Delicious!
After eating, we cleaned up and headed out to St. Vinny's for our requisite visit. Gosh, what a visit! S found an aluminum frame lounger in near-perfect condition for $5, I found two pieces of pottery, Caroline a Fiesta dish along with a Hall china coffee mug. Steph also snagged four record albums (yes, vinyl!) for $1 a piece, while I picked up some 'pearl' earrings. Caroline got the best find though in a delightful, handmade rocking hobby horse for a small child. As she made her way across the big room, holding the hobby horse up to show me, I asked her, "Are you trying to tell me something?" Her answer was a big grin. (aside - While the 'deed' is not done, things are being set in motion for it to happen.) Oh yes, and Caroline also found a completely cute pair of angel wings, replete with feathers and shiny sequins sprinkled here and there. Halloween, watch out for a drunken angel!
Staggering out of St. Vinny's, arms loaded, we headed to a nearby Indian restaurant where Ron met us for lunch. Don't ask me what I ate. It was a buffet full of tasty, exotic dishes. I enjoyed virtually all of them ... well, maybe except the slightly chewy goat meat one. At Caroline's encouragement, I ordered a hot chai tea that was lovely and delicious. Not too sugary, with just the right amount of gingery warmth and zinginess. Hmm, I can still taste its yumminess.
Saturday was a bit of a slow start, but we made it to the Farmer's Market in downtown Madison. Oh my, it was every bit as busy and crowded with shoppers as I remembered. Every step of the four blocks-long market, there were stands replete with colorful veggies and tempting jams and humongous hearty mums and cheese curds and breads and honey and black Spanish radishes (just remember the amazing translation from 'jacquard' to 'daikon' -- "I speak Stephnie!")and too many other delicious treats to list. We went with two or three items in mind to purchase and left with Caroline's trusty backpack loaded to the brim. Chivalrous Ron toted the hefty thing around and never groaned, not even once.
We headed to the Soap Opera, but sidetracked ourselves into Paul's Club for the requisite spicy Bloody Marys. Yummy, as I knew they would be.
The Soap Opera was cozily intimate, busy and filled with sumptuous fragrances that always evoke an unexpected sense of well-being. I glided over to the table filled with Mistral soaps and began sniffing all the new 'flavors'. It's a place to simply give in to your senses, particularly the smell-icious one.
Saturday night, we all enjoyed Caroline's culinary gifts: corn chowder made with freshly frozen sweet corn and finely diced jalapenos (awesome!); Juliette tomatoes, fresh, backyard basil leaves and fresh mozzarella salad; and yummy fresh boiled shrimp with zingy homemade cocktail sauce bursting with horseradish. Talk about a feast! We ate our fill and then some.
The highlight of Sunday was a visit to the Sugar Shack, a vintage record shop. It was packed with album covers, vintage posters, memorabilia and crates and crates of old music. While Caroline and I poked around for a half an hour or so, Ron and S easily spent an hour plus sifting through the treasures awaiting their discovery. Meanwhile, Caroline and I settled down out in her trusty Mazda, called Uncle George for his early birthday celebration and talked with our cousins on speaker phone.
It was a great weekend!
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